Report decoding please!

[MerryMarigold]

Just a quickie. Ds1 in Reception got report today. Not sure what I think of it, 'cos don't understand the jargon. What's the difference between 'Working towards Early Learning goals' and 'Working within Early Learning goals' and 'Achieved Early Learning goals'. He's only achieved in 2/ 16 areas, so slightly worrying since he's going into KS1. Wondering if 'Working within' is ok, or if he really should have 'achieved' in more areas.

[lovecheese]

lovecheese whistles, once again, for mrz...

[mrz]

Children are assessed at the end of reception using the EYFS profile.
There are 13 strand - 3 for Personal Social & Emotional Development 4 for Communication Language & Literacy 3 for Problem Solving Reasoning & Numeracy and 1 each for Knowledge and Understanding of the World, Creative Development and Physical Development.
Each strand has 9 scale points - points 1-3 are working towards Early Learning Goals (and are usually achieved in nursery) points 4-8 are Early Learning Goals and point 9 indicates the child is consistently working beyond ELGs (ie within NC levels) I'm not sure where the 2/16 areas comes from...

I'm making assumptions as the Working towards, within and achieved are not nationally used and may be your teacher/school's own. I assume he has achieved all the ELGs (points 4-8) in 2 of the 13 areas and working within means he has achieved some but not all of the ELGs (which is the case with most children in EYFS) Unless has failed to achieve any ELGs in an area I would not be overly worried but I would ask to speak to his teacher.

[MerryMarigold]

Thanks again mrz.

Okay, he has working towards ELG's in about 5 areas, which I assume means he has very low scores in those areas. I guess I will ask the teacher why she thinks this is. I know her answer: all children develop differently, he's going to come along a bit later. [She's quite defensive and will imagine I am getting at her, but am genuinely interested in why he's not achieved the goals. I assume they are there because they are achievable by the majority of kids. BUT I just see the 'gap' widening between him and his peers. Not sure when you get worried!

[mrz]

Can I ask which areas he is working towards in? In my opinion if he hasn't achieved ELGs in 5 areas he needs support.

[MerryMarigold]

Thanks so much mrz. I don't know if you remember me also from the thread where you identified he was possibly dyspraxic. I am wondering if he is dyslexic too. This is the report:

Personal, social and emotional development. Working within goals

Communication, Language and Literacy:

• Achieved ELG's in Communication, Lang and thinking
  
• Working towards in Linking sounds and letters
  
• Working towards in Reading, writing and handwriting
  

Problem solving, Reasoning and Numeracy

• Achieved Numbers as Labels for counting
  
• Working within for Calculations
  
• Working towards for Shape, space and measures
  

Knowledge and Understanding of the world: working within

Physical development: working within

Creative development: working towards
(This one surprises me as he's always drawing and they're very intricate, but more 'patterns'/ 'machines' than recognisable objects that completely cover the paper, though he can do a car, people, house now)

(This bit is from me not the report)
He fairly often writes his whole name backwards, not in mirror writing, but just from right to left. It's taken him the best part of a year to get the 'v' in his name not written as 'n'. He can concentrate for very long periods, on building or drawing which he does on his own. But finds it very hard if it's verbal (sitting and listening) or things in groups. He's very easily excited.

I have an appointment to talk through with the teacher. I am wondering how to go about diagnosing the above things, and whether it's helpful to or not.

[MerryMarigold]

[I meant he likes his drawings to completely fill the space, so there's often not an inch to spare even if the space is filled with pattern/ design rather than a 'picture'. I thought he's very creative!!!]